Vancouver Film School Named School of the Year

The Computer Graphics Student Awards have named Vancouver Film School (VFS) School of the Year for 2010 and VFS’s acclaimed one-year 3D Animation & Visual Effects program has dominated the individual awards.

June 22, 2010 – Vancouver, BC, Canada – The Computer Graphics Student Awards have named Vancouver Film School (VFS) School of the Year for 2010 and VFS’s acclaimed one-year 3D Animation & Visual Effects program has dominated the individual awards. Those honoured include alumni Maximilian-Gordon Vogt, who earned top honours as Student of the Year, and two more graduates who placed first in other categories.

Hosted by cgCoach and sponsored by leading visual effects companies like Framestore, Double Negative, and Pixologic, the awards celebrate top new talent from around the world. The competition provides students the opportunity to showcase their technical and creative skills to a judging panel of industry luminaries from studios like Sony Pictures Imageworks, Dreamworks Animation, and Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Student of the Year winner Maximilian-Gordon Vogt impressed judges – and beat out global competition from some of the world's top animation schools – with the outstanding modeling reel he created during his year at VFS. Along with all category winners, he will have the opportunity to spend eight weeks this summer interning at Framestore in London. Framestore is Europe's largest visual effects studio and has been behind countless blockbusters, including Avatar.

VFS graduate Frederik Lillelund took the Excellence in Lighting prize, and the judges bestowed a special Highly Acclaimed honour upon “one of the judging panel’s favourites”, Diego Piccinato, who gave up his eligibility when he was hired by Vancouver-based studio MPC. Two other VFS alumni were among the award finalists: Eduardo Caria Mosena for Student of the Year and Anita Clipston for Excellence in Texturing.

"It's fantastic that our students and the school were recognized with these awards," says Alastair Macleod, Head of Animation & Visual Effects at VFS. "The internship opportunity is an inspired prize and will provide invaluable experience for all the winners."

"The work that is coming out of Vancouver Film School is exceptional and all the judges were amazed at the overall quality and level of professionalism,” says Andrew McDonald, co-founder of cgCoach. "This event was not only started to help students but to also showcase where all the best students are being taught. [VFS] really are setting a great standard."

Vancouver Film School Winners at the 2010 Computer Graphics Student Awards:

School of the Year: Vancouver Film SchoolStudent of the Year: Maximilian-Gordon VogtExcellence in Lighting: Frederik LillelundHighly Acclaimed: Diego Piccinato

The CGSAs join a long list of accolades for VFS’s 3D Animation & Visual Effects program, highlighted by 3D World Magazine naming VFS the top one-year animation school in the world.

About Vancouver Film SchoolVancouver Film School is Canada's premier post-secondary entertainment arts institution and one of the most distinguished in the world. The world-renowned Animation & Visual Effects department at VFS includes three distinct programs: 3D Animation & Visual Effects (one year), Classical Animation (one year), and Digital Character Animation (six months). Students at VFS work with industry leaders in a studio environment while creating professional-quality reels and films that get them noticed on the global stage. VFS graduates have a profound effect on the entertainment industry, playing key roles behind the scenes in 9 of the 10 highest grossing films of 2009.